The Lower Zambezi Experience
Discover the untamed beauty of Zambia's Lower Zambezi Valley, from canoeing with hippos to dining on the river
After our time in Livingstone came to an end (see part 2; The Tongabezi Experience), it is off to Zambia's famed Lower Zambezi valley, home to amazing wildlife and the Lower Zambezi National Park. Taking in some canoeing on the Zambezi River while staying at Sausage Tree Lodge and Old Mondoro.
Sausage Tree Camp is set in a stunning location on the banks of the Zambezi River, in the Lower Zambezi National Park. This is in the heart of the best game viewing area. The camp and very welcoming pool overlook many narrow channels teeming with game, offering the amazing Zambezi escarpment as the backdrop.
We enjoyed boat cruises, sundowners, day and night game drives, an early morning canoe amongst hippos and crocs, tiger fishing and even a surprise lunch in the Zambezi River.
Sausage Tree also offers walks with highly skilled and trained rangers. Elephants are seen in camp on a daily basis. Game viewing is excellent, with an extremely high chance of spotting wild dog, leopard, lion, hippo and buffalo, to name but a few, during your stay.
After returning from our morning canoe excursion on our first morning - hot and exhausted - we were told we would be "going out" for lunch. Obviously, we were all a bit dumb-struck, like where does one "go out" for lunch in the Lower Zambezi? So we all boarded our boat, and as we turned the first bend, we couldn't believe what we saw, a table, chairs, barbeque, drinks table and shaded thatch enclosure all set up IN the Zambezi River. The camp crew were all standing ankle-deep waiting for us, cocktails in hand. And so we sat ankle-deep in the Zambezi and enjoyed our delicious barbeque and cocktails. This was most definitely one of the highlights of my trip, one which I will remember forever!
Sausage Tree Camp is an ideal family-friendly as well as a Honeymoon destination; there is something here for everyone.
Old Mondoro; From Sausage Tree to Old Mondoro, it is an approx. A 45-minute boat ride, although that definitely depends on how many times you stop to take pictures!
Old Mondoro (the Shona word for lion is Mondoro and the name Old Mondoro derives from the local legend of an old, white lion that used to frequent the area) is one of the most intimate and private safari camps in the Lower Zambezi, offering only 8 beds.
On our afternoon arrival at the camp, we soon embarked on a game drive which quickly turned into a night drive after we had stopped on the banks to enjoy our sundowners. We were extremely lucky with our sightings, having spotted two young male lions, three porcupines (my first ever sighting), hippos running amok, buffalo, five genets, as well as a bushbaby which we were told was the first sighting in two seasons!
Other activities on offer include canoeing, game viewing by motorboat, tiger-fishing (catch and release), as well as bush walks - there are some excellent walking areas right from the camp, and I've been told this is the best walking area in the Lower Zambezi.
It is a very rustic camp - quite different from the likes of Sausage Tree where we had just come from - with no electricity (paraffin lamps bring the camp alive after dark), offering a fantastic "back to basics" experience. If you need your hairdryer, then perhaps this is not the camp for you.
The Lower Zambezi Experience by Uyaphi.com
Travel To Zambia Now
Map of Lodges in and around Zambia
Lodges And Camps In Zambia
King Lewanika Lodge
King Lewanika Lodge is Time + Tide's tented lodge on the open grasslands of Liuwa Plain National Park in western Zambia. Six canvas-walled villas look over the plain from raised decks, including a two-bedroom family villa. Game drives by day and night, guided walks and seasonal canoeing take you out among the wildebeest, hyena clans and birdlife of this remote corner of Zambia.
Kaingu Lodge
Kaingu Lodge is an owner-run lodge on a remote stretch of the Kafue River in the Namwala Game Management Area, directly opposite Kafue National Park. A ten-minute boat ride takes you across to game drives in the park, while the lodge side of the river offers boat cruises, canoeing, fishing, birding and walks among the channels, rapids and islands.
Busanga Bush Camp
Busanga Bush Camp puts you right on the Busanga Plains in the far north of Kafue National Park, with herds of puku and red lechwe grazing in front of camp. It is a small, comfortable tented bush camp built around the wildlife: game drives across the floodplain by day, night drives to find the plains' nocturnal side, and birding that rewards anyone who packs binoculars.
Ila Safari Lodge
Ila Safari Lodge sits on the banks of the Kafue River inside Kafue National Park, a riverside base for exploring one of Zambia's great wildernesses. Wake to hippo calling from the water, head out on game drives through woodland and dambos, and return to a lodge built with sustainability at its core. A superb choice for the river half of a Kafue safari.
Fig Tree Bush Camp
Fig Tree Bush Camp is an intimate four-tent camp on the Shishamba River in central Kafue National Park, named for the giant fig that shades its dining boma. Each tent stands on a platform about 3 m high, looking over a sandy lagoon on one side and open grassland on the other. Expect game drives, guided walks and campfire dinners under the stars. Sister camp to Mukambi Safari Lodge.
Busanga Plains Camp
Busanga Plains Camp is a small, intimate tented camp out on the vast Busanga Plains in northern Kafue National Park. The floodplain around it carries red lechwe and puku, and the predators that follow them, so game drives are rarely short of drama. Sister camp to Mukambi Safari Lodge and Fig Tree Bush Camp, it pairs beautifully with a river stay further south.
Shumba Camp
Shumba Camp stands on a tree island in the middle of the Busanga Plains, in the far north of Kafue National Park, and takes its name from the lion prides that hunt the plains. Six tents raised on wooden platforms sit beneath fig trees with sweeping views, and a pool cools the heat of the day. Game drives, night drives, boat trips when water lies on the plains, and hot-air balloon flights round out the activities.
Mukambi Safari Lodge
Mukambi Safari Lodge sits on the banks of the Kafue River in Kafue National Park, a relaxed base where the river is as much a part of the safari as the bush. Choose between game drives, guided walks and sunset boat cruises, then unwind with an open-air bath under the stars. Sister lodge to Fig Tree Bush Camp and Busanga Plains Camp, it links easily with a stay deeper in the park.